Pathescope ProductionsSymptoms in Schizophrenia (ca. 1940s)

Shows masked mental patients enacting various schizophrenic symptoms as they were understood at the time. A disturbing film that raises questions about the condition and treatment of its subjects.

This item is part of the collection: Prelinger Archives

Producer: Pathescope Productions
Audio/Visual: Si, B&W
Keywords: Medicine: Psychiatry; Schizophrenia; Hospitals

Creative Commons license: Public Domain

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Reviewer: asylum23 - - January 13, 2008
Subject: Very Interesting

This film was very interesting, yet haunting.

Schizophrenia at the time must have been the end-all diagnosis for many mentally ill patients. Watching this footage, it is clear many are suffering from OCD and/or Tourette's Syndrome, and perhaps not Schizophrenia at all.

Too bad it was not recorded with sound, I bet it would be interesting to hear what they are saying.

The fact that the catatonics move to a more normal pose in extremely slow motion is similar to what Oliver Sacks found. His patient Myron Z was also moving in slow motion "One of his patients, Myron Z, was basically frozen in odd positions for hours at a time, but Sachs would sometimes notice that Myron had changed positions during these episodes. Sachs pointed this out to Myron, who said “That’s ridiculous. I was just wiping my nose.” Sachs then filmed Myron over 2 hours and replayed the film at a faster rate of speed. Sure enough, Myron had been moving in slow motion, so slow that it was imperceptible to people with normal time perception. However, Myron didn’t realize it. Another patient, Hestor Y, was the opposite. She was living at a greatly increased speed, but also had no idea."

You have to wonder if time actually slowed down for them.

I also wonder if the doctors got the patients dressed up for the filming, it was strange to see them in dresses and suits.

Reviewer: unzar - - May 4, 2007
Subject: An Afternoon at the Asylum

An interesting look back at some mentally ill people that have descendants in every town and city today. Some of it looks like "Simon Says at Ye Olde Nut Shoppe" and I wonder if it was as entertaining for the staff as it is for the present day viewer.

The catatonic states are particularly bizarre. Are these people afflicted with this condition genetically or through some type of trauma or degenerative disease?

As to their living in the institution it was no doubt better than living on the street the way so many of the mentally ill are today, thanks to those who care more about rights than people.
The End.

Reviewer: GE_Pretzel - - March 21, 2006
Subject: Astounding footage

Disturbing as it may be, the footage in this film effectively reveals many of the various forms of schizophrenia that have afflicted mankind for millenia. Intertitles accompany each scene and fetaure the medical terminology in use at the time. The footage of the man suffering from cerea flexibilitas is quite haunting.

Reviewer: Mr.Grey - - August 5, 2005
Subject: Adult Swim

I recently noticed scenes from this brilliant film used in a suitably surreal and esoteric ad spot for the bizarre late-night cartoon program Adult Swim. It prompted me to rewatch the copy I downloaded from this archive several years ago, and it was just as amazing as when I first watched it. Seeing it again renewed my interest in the archive here and I was very happy to see so many new titles, as well as the larger framework for upload/download. Genius, and so gratious. Thanks. I plan on uploading many films from my own collection to spread the wealth in kind.

Reviewer: Marysz - - July 28, 2005
Subject: Who's Running the Asylum?

A fascinating, but troubling film that makes one wonderÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂwhose behavior is ultimately more disturbing? The masked patients displaying their symptoms or the staff that put the masks on these vulnerable people and filmed them? I canÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂt help wondering if the patientsÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂ symptoms werenÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂt exacerbated by the doctorsÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂ dehumanizing treatment of them. Could it be that the ÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂapathy and an absence of social contactÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂ that this film defines as mental illness could have been brought on by the conditions of their institutionalization? This is not to minimize the reality of psychotic symptoms or the helplessness that psychiatrists at the time felt when they didnÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂt respond to treatment. This film was made in the era when Freudian psychoanalysis ruled; now we know that these symptoms can be controlled with medication. At least the mental hospital where this film was made looks home-like and the patients appear to be well-fed and cared for, which could be the best that could be done for them. But watching this film brings to mind the fact that about the same time this film was made, Joseph Mengele was carrying out his gruesome experiments in Nazi Germany.

Reviewer: Spuzz - - July 2, 2005
Subject: Stand BACK!!

Unworldly little movie no doubt made for doctors to show other doctors case examples of people suffering from schizophrenia.
While some people have called this a freak show, just remember this was made for doctors, so yes, this does have some value. Interesting how some of the patients had crude masks, like in Zorro or some sort of misunderstood superhero.
Also worth noting is that this movie WAS made in the 1930ÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂs, so a lot about schizophrenia and psychiatry wasnÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂt really well known at the time, (and heck, Tom Cruise, even Tom CruiseÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂs Mom wasnÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂt around to diss it). I wonder how many of these symptoms could be helped by modern drugs today.

Reviewer: boxcarhobo - - May 12, 2005
Subject: I were a PATIENT there-C.S.H. in them OLD DAYS!

I rekognysed many them buildins. I were in GRIFFIN HALL, big three story,I weere ther 8 year. My name is JOHNNY BERNAYS...I war from ARKENSAS...my Gandmother was RECREATION DIRECTER at ARK> STATE HOSPITAL she HAD ME send to NORMAN CENTRAL STATE because it was BETTER CARE for CHRONIC NEVER EXPECTED to be RELEASED Patients! I worked in RADIO/TV shop (I had, still have AMATUER RADIO License...& Broadcast Engineer Training..) I were Discheerged (after 8 years THERE+ 10 Years at ARKANSAS STATE HOSPITAL COLONY in 1977, given SSI, (NOTE!!!! SSI was ORDERED, GRANTED & APPROVED by A REPUBLICIAN- Ger. FORD!!!!Not a DEMON_CRAP!!!(democrat) I am now OLD, FEEBLE, PSYCHOTIC & TARDIVE DYSKINSEA living in TENT in San Diego, CA. I still have HAM RASDIO (KD5MPM) and ERN CASH playing GUITAR (a SEAGULL S-6 Moduel And CW SW 1999 Artist Special MAPLE release)And got this TOSHIBA TECRA 8200 Lap Topo....CANNOT GET HELP from MENTAL HEALTH..fools! TD is a SEVERE NON CURATABLE DISORDER CAUSED by PSYCHTROPIC DRUGS...but THEY WANT TO GIVE ME MORE & CREATE a SPASTIC CRETIN! IDIOTS!

Reviewer: Avid_Fan - - October 31, 2004
Subject: Lets keep a few things in perspective here, Marysz.

A fascinating, but troubling film that makes one wonderÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂwhose behavior is ultimately more disturbing? The masked patients displaying their symptoms or the staff that put the masks on these vulnerable people and filmed them?

This film was made as a learning tool for professionals in the field of Psychiatry. Not something to be shown at the Saturday afternoon matinee. They were masked to protect their identities. Furthermore, one man in the film (standing at a window) appeared to be having a very detailed and heated argument with someone, who simply wasn't there. If that level of bizarre behavior makes perfect sense to him, I very seriously doubt he had any qualms about being filmed. In fact, he behaved as though the camera wasn't there. And in his mind (I very much believe) it wasn't.

I canÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂt help wondering if the patientsÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂ symptoms werenÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂt exacerbated by the doctorsÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂ dehumanizing treatment of them.

I don't know. But then again, when someone is incurably insane as many (if not all) of the subjects in this film were, the questions that beg asking are: Do they feel its dehumanizing? And if so, how can we know this?

Dehumanizing? That is a pretty strong word, isn't it? And not very accurate. Moving the mans body around was done to demonstrate the symptom of his particular form of Schizophrenia. Not for the amusement of the demonstrator or the audience. I saw no humor in the demonstrators face. What I did see, however, was pity.

Could it be that the ÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂapathy and an absence of social contactÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂ that this film defines as mental illness could have been brought on by the conditions of their institutionalization?

Brought on? No. Made worse? Sure. We didn't have the variety of psychoactive drugs we do now. So it stands to reason to say that: What doesn't get treated, or is treated incorrectly, only gets worse.

This is not to minimize the reality of psychotic symptoms or the helplessness that psychiatrists at the time felt when they didnÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂt respond to treatment. This film was made in the era when Freudian psychoanalysis ruled; now we know that these symptoms can be controlled with medication.

Of course Freudian psychoanalysis ruled. The reason it did is because we hadn't discovered the "Chemical Cure". Freudian psychoanalysis was (for all intents and purposes) the only weapon we had to combat the problem. There was, of course, Insulin shock, electro-shock therapy and the frontal lobotomy. But those were spotty at best.

At least the mental hospital where this film was made looks home-like and the patients appear to be well-fed and cared for, which could be the best that could be done for them.

That is about all we could do back then. We were no closer to understanding the nature of Schizophrenia in the 1940's than we were in the 1840's.

But watching this film brings to mind the fact that about the same time this film was made, Joseph Mengele was carrying out his gruesome experiments in Nazi Germany.

I'm trying to draw a line between the legitimate study of the symptoms of different forms of Schizophrenia and Joseph Mengele. Help me understand the correlation between an educational film made for the benefit of the mental health community and a Nazi Doctor - the "Angel of Death" of Auschwitz.

Avid Fan

p.s.
I gave it four out of five because there wasn't any sound. :)

Reviewer: krista56 - - December 8, 2003
Subject: great!

Great film. It was interesting to see the symptoms of schizophrenia "come alive". I had fun trying to figure out what was each patients motivation and pre-psychotic years were like. It is also intreguing because since this film is old, these patients weren't on anti-psychotic medication--so at this point psychiatrists were trying to figure schizophrenics out (which is why they *experiment* with them)--not so much treat them. New psychiatric research had arrived about the illness since the film was made, so it would be interesting to compare a modern film with this one.
If you are interested in seeing a fabulous movie about a schizophrenic (WHICH IS AN ACCURATE PORTRAYAL!--unlike many today) see:
"Revolution #9"

Reviewer: Biflspud - - September 1, 2003
Subject: Fun with schizophrenics!

Given the age of the film, it's not terribly surprising that little could be done for the people in this film. What is surprising is how much is done to/with them; several forms of schizophrenia on display (this film is essentially an interactive exhibit of the syndrome) allow the "therapist" to pose, push around, and force the sufferers into distorted pantomime. It's a little sad, really, but it does what it promised to do, explores the symptomology of the disease.

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Danger Lurks Safety Psychology Psychiatry Mental illness Mental disorders Psychiatric disorders Mental patients Masks Privacy Hebephrenia